Radiographic depiction of intra-abdominal fat in newborns: a marker of infants born to diabetic mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the presence of intra-abdominal fat (IAF) in newborns is diagnostic of infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs), and determine whether IAF is merely the consequence of increased body size.

STUDY DESIGN: Abdominal radiographs of 277 neonates >34 weeks gestational age (147 male and 130 female) were reviewed to determine the presence of IAF. Unpaired t-test and regression analyses were used to examine the influence of gestational age, birth weight, birth length and maternal diabetes on the prevalence and thickness of IAF.

RESULT: The prevalence of IAF was higher in IDMs (41.2% vs 13.2%; P<0.0001)-an association that persisted even after accounting for sex, gestational age and weight. Both birth weight and maternal diabetic status influenced the amount of IAF. Values of IAF thickness in IDMs were, however, more than threefold greater than those in non-IDMs (2.53±2.08 vs 0.81±0.29 mm; P<0.0001). An IAF thickness >1.5 mm was indicative of an IDM.

CONCLUSION: The depiction of IAF in radiographs is significantly more prevalent in IDMs when compared with non-IDMs, regardless of body size. A thickness of IAF >1.5 mm is a marker that should encourage work-up for the physiological, metabolic and congenital complications associated with IDM.